Packing.



PATENTED AUG. 18, 1907. J. H. NASH & R. H. BRIGGS, JR.

' PACKING. APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 8. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. NASH AND RICHARD H. BRIGGS, JR, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

PACKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed January 8,1907. Serial No. 351,300.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JosEPH H. Niisn and RICHARD H. BRIGGS, J12, citizens of the United States, residing at East St. Louis, in the county ofSt. Glair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in packing, and particularly to improvements in packing designed for use in making a steam-tight joint around a pistonrod or the like, said rod having movement in the direction of its length.

Heretofore packing devices of various forms have been employed wherein spring-pressed wedging means are provided for holding the packing material in contact with the piston. In these devices, however, as commonly constructed, this material in contact with the piston is thrust by spring'pressure in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the piston. A dis advantage incident to the use of such devices is the tendency of the packing material to be carried along with the piston in its outward movement, said packing material being thereby forced out of the stuffing-box through the opening in which the piston works. This results in waste of the packing material and the consequent expense and trouble of frequent renewals of the same.

The. object of the present invention is to provide a packing device for piston-rods and the like, in which a ring or rings of anti-friction metal, such as Babbitt metal, are acted upon by a force tending to move them in a direction transverse the direction of movement of the piston-rod so that these rings engage said piston rod and form a steam-tight joint therewith but without having imparted to them any tendency to move in a line parallel to the direction of movement of the pis tons-rod. We also provide means for taking up any slight wear that may occur upon the packing rings.

In the drawings accompanying this specification- Figure 1 shows, in central longitudinal section, an application of our invention to a familiar form of stuflingbox. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same, the section being taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail.

In the several figures of the drawings A is a stufiingbox which may be provided with screw threads (1 upoir,.. one of its ends for application to a steam cylindeiuina well-known manner. The opposite end of the stuffingbox A is provided with screw threads to engage appropriate screw threads upon the gland B, which is designed to serve as a cover or closure for the stuffingbox A.

Within the stuffing-box A we provide a follower C,

, consisting of a cup which may have a neck 0 projecting from its bottom, and is provided with a central bore or aperture through which extends the shaft D. This follower G is provided upon its inner side with an incline c, and is pressed toward the outer end of the stufling-box by a spring E, the latter being slipped on to the neck 0 and being seated at its inner end against the ring F. This ring is preferably formed upon its rearward side with a curved surface which rests upon the incline f in the stuffing-box A, thus forming the familiar ball-joint to permit the spring to adjust itself so as to exert an equal pressure upon the follower G at all points around the latter.

Resting within the cup or follower C is a split wedgering G, g. This ring is preferably rounded at its lower outer edge and formed with inclines H, h, upon its interior and surrounds a split packing-ring l, i, the wed ge ring and packing ring being preferably arranged so as to break joint. The packing-ring l, i, is formed of Babbitt metal or the like and has a straight bearing surf ace upon its interior adapted to fit around the piston and has an incline upon its outer surface to cooperate with the incline H, it, upon the split wedge-ring G, 9. Within the split wedge-ring G, 5 we also provide a split bearingring K, is, outside of which, but within the ring G, g, is a split ring L, Z. The rings K, k, and L, Z, are preferably of Babbitt metal and are arranged to break joint with each other and with the rings l, i, and the ring I, i, co vers the annular joint between the rings K and L.

A cup M is adapted to be slipped over the wedge-ring G, g and the rings contained therein and to be confined between the outer end of the stuffing-box A and the gland B when the latter is screwed down to position, as shown in Fig. 1. The ring K, k and the ring L, Z fit against the bottom of this cup I, the latter being formed with an aperture through which passes the piston D. The cup M is formed with an incline or ball m joining its sides and bottom. The upper edge of the wedge-ring G, g, is rounded, as shown, the rounded surfaces engaging the incline mwhenever this wedgering is forced outwardly or into the cup M.

The ring G, g, is preferably so split that when the parts are first assembled there will be vertical V-shuped spaces between the ends of the sections G, g, and as the packing-ring K wears away the ends of the sections G, g will gradually rock towards each other, but, for the best results, they should not squarely abut against each other until the ring K is worn out. This feature of the ring G, g, is shown in Fig. 3. Suitable lugs are used to keep the rings I, K and L in proper relative positions.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the pressure of the spring E exerted upon the bottom of the cup or follower O and tending to move the latter toward the ring together, and that the movement of the wedgering toward the incline in the cup M under the influence of the spring E also tends to compress this ring. The packing-ring I, 1', is forced together by the pressure of the wedge-ring G, g, upon its inclined portion and the resistance of the rings K, k and L, l against its movement in an outward direction. The compression of the Wedge-ring will hold the bearingring K tightly against the shaft. The tendency, therefore, of the spring E is to compress aitl of the'split rings, and ultimately the Babbitt metal rings I, i, and K receive all of the inward pressure resulting from the wedging action and are held firmly in contact with the shaft D. This constant pressure takes up the wear on the packing rings and maintains a tight joint at all times.

It will be seen that the novel principle in our packing device resides in the provision of a plurality of inter-engaging members surrounding the rod, these members tending, under pressure exerted in a. direction parallel with the line of movement of the rod, to move toward the rod in a direction transverse the line of movement of the same, whereby at least one of these members will engage the rod and form a steam-tight joint therewith, in combination with yielding means tending to constantly compress one or more of these members.

The packing of my invention is shown as applied to pack a reciprocating piston-rod, but it will be obvious that it might be used in other connections. In using the words piston rod in the claims, we wish it to be understood that we intend any rod or shaft extending through a stufiing box or like device.

We claim:

1. A packing for piston-rods and the like comprising a stufiing-box, a sectional packing member arranged within the striding-box, and adapted to surround a pistonrod, a wedge member adapted to be forced in the direction of movement of the rod a device having an inclined surface at the other side of the packing member whereby the packing member is thrust into lateral engagement with the rod, and yielding means exerting a constant pressure upon said wedge member.

2. In a packing for piston1'ods and the like, the combination with the rod, of a split packing member formed of anti-friction material, one or more split members in combination therewith adapted to break joints with said packing member, a split wedge member and movable inwardly toward the piston-rod surrounding said last named member, and means tending to thrust said wedge member in a direction parallel with the axis of the rod whereby the said packing member is moved laterally into engagement with the rod.

3. In a packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with a stufling-box, of a follower within said stufiing-hox and surrounding the rod, yielding means tending to move said follower in the direction of movement of the rod, wedging members having movement inwardly toward the piston-rod adapted to be acted upon by said follower, and a plurality of rings arranged to break joints and to be moved laterally toward the rod by the thrust of said yielding means upon said wedging members.

4. In a packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with the rod of a stufling-hox surrounding said rod and having a chamber therein, a split ring of antifriction metal in contact with said rod, said ring being wedge-shaped in cross section, another split ring outside of said first-named ring and having its interior conforming to the first-named ring, and spring-pressed means adapted to move said last-named ring in a direction parallel with the axis of the rod, and thereby to force said first-named ring in a direction transverse to the axis of the rod.

5. In a packing for piston-rods and the like, a stuffingbox surrounding said rod, a gland for said stuffing-box adapted to close the outer end thereof, a cup in said gland having an incline upon its inner surface, a springpressed cup'adapted to be moved toward the first-named cup and having. also an incline upon its interior, a split ring partly within said first-named cup and partly within said last-named cup, and a split ring of antifriction metal within said first-named ring and surrounding the rod and adapted, by the movement of said cups toward each other, to be forced in a direction transverse the direction of movement of the rod and into engagement with said rod.

6. In a packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with the rod, of a stuffing-box through which said rod passes, said stutfing-box having'a chamber surrounding said rod and containing a pair of cups arranged facing each other, a split ring partly within each of said cups and adapted to be moved toward the rod in a direction transverse the axis of the rod by the movement of one of said cups toward the other, suitable anti-friction split rings within said first-named ring, and spring means for thrusting one of said cups toward the other.

7. In a packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with the rod, of a stufling-box therefor, having a chamber therein surrounding said rod, an annular member within said stutfing-box and surrounding the rod, said member being formed with an incline upon its inner surface, a second annular member surrounding the rod and also formed with an incline upon its inner surface, a split ring of antifriction metal, adapted to engage the rod, and means engaging said split ring upon the inner sides of said means and engaging upon its outer side both of the annular members and adapted, by movement of said annular members toward each other, to be forced in a direction transverse the direction of movement of the shaft, and spring means adapted to thrust one of said annular members toward the other.

8. In a packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with a stufiing-box, of two cups within said stufling-box having their tops toward each other and their bottoms apertured for the rod, spring means for thrusting said cups toward each other, and a series of split rings within said cups, said cups being interiorly provided with inclined sides whereby the movement of said cups toward each othertends to force the sections of the split rings toward each other in a direction transverse the direction of movement of the rod.

9. In a packing for piston-rods and the like, the com bination with a stuffing-box, of a spring therein, a wedging member acted upon by said spring and moved thereby in a direction parallel to the axis of the rod, a second wedge member immovably arranged adjacent the outer end of the stufiing-box, means confined between said wedge members and adapted, by the movement of one of said wedge members toward the other, to be moved toward the rod in a direction transverse the axis of the rod, and means between the last-named means and the rod for engaging said rod and forming therewith a steam-tight joint.

10. In packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with a stufling-box, of a sectional packing member, with a device surrounding and engaging said packing member having movement inwardly toward the piston-rod, and means for exerting pressure on such device so as to force the packing member inwardly against the pistonrod.

11. In packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with a stuffingbox, of a sectional packing member, a rocking engaging device surrounding the packing member, and means for exerting pressure against said engaging device so as to force the packing member laterally against the piston-rod.

12. In packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with a stuffing-box, of a sectional packing member, an engaging device engaging said packing member, means for guiding the engaging device so that it will have movement inwardly toward the piston-rod, and an elastic device exerting pressure against the engaging device longitudinal with respect to the piston-rod.

13. In packing for piston-rods and the like, the combination with a stuffing-box, of a sectional packing mem her, an elastic device exerting pressure longitudinally of the piston-rod, and means interposed between the same and the packing member for transmitting such pressure into lateral pressure so as to thrust the packing member laterally against the piston-rod.

14. A packing for piston rods and. the like, comprising a sectional packing member, engaging devices on each side thereof, and an elastic device to force said engaging devices one toward the other, one at least of the surfaces of engagement on each side of the packing member be- 10 tween said packing member and the engaging devices being formed at an inclination to the axis of the piston rod, whereby longitudinal pressure upon the engaging devices is transmitted into a lateral thrust of the packing member against the piston rod.

J. H. NASH. R. H. BRIGGS, JR.

Witnesses FRANK OKEEFE, Ij. C. PEARCE.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 863,205.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N 0. 863,205, granted August 13, 1907,

. upon the application of Joseph H. Nash and Richard H. Briggs, J r., of East St. Louis,

Illinois, for an improvement in Packing, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: On page 2, lines 47 and 48, the words and movable inwardly toward the pistonrod should be stricken out and inserted after the word member, first occurrence, line 49, same page; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of OctobeijA. D., 1907.

EDWARD B. MOORE,

, Commissioner of Patents.

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